


Forgiven

by WandaRavenBlack



Series: Bad Things Happen - Dick Grayson [16]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Flashbacks, Good Sibling Cassandra Cain, Hurt Dick Grayson, Hurt/Comfort, Past Child Abuse, Sibling Bonding, Training
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:49:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21661717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WandaRavenBlack/pseuds/WandaRavenBlack
Summary: BROKEN NOSEDuring training, Dick starts using techniques that he had learned from Slade. The fight goes too far and he finds himself lost in the past, not knowing who is friend and who is foe.
Relationships: Cassandra Cain & Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Slade Wilson, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne
Series: Bad Things Happen - Dick Grayson [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1509440
Comments: 10
Kudos: 453





	Forgiven

Dick rolled under a punch and jumped to his feet with a grin. Him and Bruce had been training for almost an hour and no one was getting the upper hand. Damian, who had managed to beat Tim so badly that the older boy had to call for mercy, was sitting on a mat against the wall, resting. And that told Dick that Damian had argued with Bruce and needed to take out his anger on someone. And that someone had unfortunately been Tim. If he had known that it was this way, he would have paired himself with the boy and not insisted on sparring with Bruce. He deflected a few punches and glanced to the other side. Cass had won over Steph three times already and they had both taken a pause, not wanting to take it too far. Jason had beaten Duke two times and they were sitting against one of the walls, drinking water. Babs was sitting in her wheelchair off to the side, taking notes while glancing up to Dick and Bruce from time to time. They were the only ones still fighting, since Kate and Selina had left a few minutes earlier to prepare some snacks for them, since Alfred was away visiting his family. Dick ducked under another punch and started throwing a few punches himself. Bruce blocked them without any bigger problems and Dick wanted to laugh. Every time him and Bruce trained, neither of them managed to land any good punches. Bruce had simply taught him too well. He jumped back to avoid a kick and a sudden thought appeared in his head. Bruce hadn’t been the only person to train him. He still remembered the pain he had been left in after Slade was finished with their training sessions. Back then, when he was still Robin, he had sworn to never use any of the techniques he had learned, not wanting to be connected to Slade in any way. And, as he still remembered, he had been way more violent back then. Way more dangerous. He had been more prone to hurt people. Because that's what Slade had wanted. That was what would keep the Titans alive. But this was Batman. This was an almost unbeatable man. Maybe he could try letting loose a bit. He took a deep breath and let himself slip back into the pattern of thinking he had when he was with Slade. His next attack was more precise, striking for the throat. Bruce, slightly put off balance by this, actually had to take a few steps back. He frowned at Dick, but the young man didn’t see any anger in his eyes, so he simply continued the attacks. He went on the offensive, forcing Bruce to defend himself. He made sure to block out the others, since none of them were a threat. He focused all his attention on Bruce. The man took a few more shocked steps back, before sudden understanding flashed across his face. A hard look appeared in his eyes and Dick almost grinned. Show time. Bruce attacked and Dick, instead of blocking like he usually did, deflected the punch to the side and brought his knee up to Bruce’s groin. The man kicked him in the shin, forcing him to jump back. Immediately, he kicked out, his foot missing Bruce’s face by inches. The man grabbed it and, using all his might, twisted it, throwing Dick into the air. The acrobat made a flip in the air and landed in a crouched position. By now, everyone was watching them. Jason leaned a bit closer to Duke and whispered:

“100 bucks that Dick wins.” 

Duke frowned. 

“Nah. Bruce has got it.” 

Cass and Steph moved over to them, making sure to stay close to the walls and not get in the way of the two fighting men. The blonde flopped down next to Duke. 

“I’m putting my money on Bruce too.” 

Cass, who had been keeping her eyes on Dick’s movements, shook her head. 

“Dick.” 

Tim shrugged. 

“I’m going with B. He has way more experience and knows all Dick’s moves.” 

Damian stood up slowly, walked over to Babs and grabbed the handles of her wheelchair. He pushed her over to the others and then sat down between Cass and Jason. 

“I’m going with Richard. I’ve seen him fight before.” 

Everyone turned to Babs. She shook her head with a smile. 

“No. I’m not doing this.” 

Jason grinned. 

“So three against three.” 

They all turned back to the fight, watching with curiosity how it would develop. Dick kept his eyes on every little move Bruce made, making sure to not miss anything that could be important. A kick aimed at his middle, missed its mark when he backflipped over it. He went over to hand to hand combat, making sure that each of his blows could be felt, but did no permanent damage. Just a bruise here and there when he actually landed a hit. He felt something in him almost relax. Slade had been right, back then. He had enjoyed it. Enjoyed not having to pull his punches. Enjoyed giving in to all the anger he had inside of him. They fought for the next few minutes in complete silence. Even though both knew that they could do much damage, neither of them went further than bruises. And then, suddenly, Dick remembered a move Slade had showed him. A move that could grant him an easy win. He faked an attack to the left. Predictably, Bruce moved to block it, but also made sure to keep an eye on the right side. With a smirk, Dick took a step to the right, then quickly spun left and kicked out. His foot connected with Bruce’s shoulder, almost knocking the man off balance. He used the few seconds it gained him, to grab Bruce’s shoulder and brought his knee up again. But, before he could do anything, Bruce turned around and punched. Dick wasn’t surprised by this move. Almost every time he had tried to use it on Slade, the man punched him so hard that he blacked out. He pulled his head back, wanting to lessen the blow, but Bruce had put way too much power behind the blow, especially since they were just training. The blow landed with all its force and Dick felt his nose breaking. Blood ran down his face and into his mouth. And that, the taste of blood, brought on memories he didn’t want to relive. Bruce, seemingly shocked about what he had done, hesitated. And that gave Dick, who didn’t see Bruce anymore, but Slade, all the time he needed. He lashed out, hitting Bruce in the neck and then in the head. The hard hit stunned him enough for Dick to give him a powerful kick. It was powerful enough to send the man flying across the room and into a wall. Seeing his opponent slumped in the corner, made Dick stop for a few seconds. On the other side of the room, everyone was too stunned to do anything. Then, Jason slowly stood up and hissed to the others. 

“Nobody move or say anything. Cass, if he attacks, make sure he doesn’t get to Babs.” 

The girl nodded slightly, her dark eyes never leaving Dick’s tense shoulders. With slow steps, Jason walked a bit closer to his brother. He knew that both Cass and Damian had more chances of actually winning over Dick. But there was one problem with that. They both loved him way too much to actually use the force needed to keep him down. Jason knew that he himself wouldn’t hesitate to put a few bullets in the acrobat, if it meant stopping him from hurting the others. Although he hoped it wouldn’t come to that. He had an inkling as to what could be happening and he hoped he could talk Dick out of the state he had been put in. 

“Dick.” 

Blue eyes turned to him and he had to stop himself from flinching. Nightwing on a good day was the best friend you could have. Nightwing with murder in his eyes was downright terrifying. That was something Bruce would never manage, in Jason’s opinion. Because sure, Batman was scary and starred in every criminal’s worst nightmare. But Nightwing was a happy hero. A trickster, who cracked jokes in the middle of a beating and always chatted with the criminals while they were waiting for the police to show up. So seeing him so lost in anger was more scary than a hundred bat glares. 

“It’s me. Jason. Look. I’m unarmed. I don’t wanna fight you. You need to snap out of this, man. You’re not there anymore. You’re not with HIM. You’ll regret it if you hurt anyone else in here.” 

He started reaching his hand out to Dick, but that proved to be a grave mistake. The acrobat grabbed it and, before Jason realized what was happening, had thrown the younger man across the room. Jason hit the wall, but his enhanced body took the hit as almost nothing. He was on his way to his feet, a hand on the gun, when he froze. Cass had stood up and was walking towards Dick. Blue eyes turned to her and she smiled. 

“No fear.” 

Dick frowned at that. She kept her movements slow, gentle. Her hands were hanging loosely along her sides and her head was slightly tilted. 

“I’m little sister.” 

Jason frowned. He had heard Dick calling Cass that on more than one occasion, but didn’t know that she had accepted that title. But then a thought struck him. Cass could barely talk. Sure, she had improved considerably, but she still had trouble with it. How was she going to talk Dick down from wherever he had gone to? She took a few steps closer and then stretched her hand out, palm up. He seemed to hesitate, but she didn’t push. She just stood there, waiting. After almost an entire minute, he slowly lifted his own hand up and put it in hers. She nodded and took a careful step towards him. He let her do that and, when she put her other hand on his cheek, his eyes widened. He took a rapid step back, fear appearing on his face. 

“I didn’t… I shouldn’t… I’m so sorry.” 

He pulled his hand away from Cass and ran out of the room. As soon as he was out of the room, Steph and Duke rushed over to Bruce, while Tim went to see if Jason was alright. Damian, still on his guard, stayed next to Barbara’s chair. Before anyone could say anything, Kate and Selina ran into the room. 

“What happened? Why did Dick just rush through the house as if Joker was chasing him?” 

Bruce stood up and glared over to Jason. 

“What the hell happened?” 

The young man immediately went on the defensive. 

“Why are you looking at me?” 

“Because you seemed to know what was going on with Dick. And who is that HIM you were talking about?” 

Sea-green eyes looked around the room, before Jason shook his head. 

“Dick trusted me with that information. If he hasn’t told you, then neither will I.” 

He walked over to the door and then stopped. 

“And for everyone’s best, you shouldn’t push him.” 

And he marched out of the room, heading towards the showers. Everyone else was so deep in their thoughts that they didn’t notice Cass slipping out of the room. Meanwhile, Dick had made his way up to the roof. He walked to the edge and looked down. It was so quiet. So peaceful. With an angry grunt, he headed back to the middle of the roof and sat down. What on earth had possessed him to use Slade’s techniques? Of course it would end in something bad happening. He closed his eyes, but could only see Bruce laying in the corner and Jason flying across the room. He swore. What if he hadn’t snapped back to reality? What if he had attacked Cass? Before he could answer himself, he heard someone climb up to the roof and slow, calm steps approaching. Cass sat down next to him and smiled. In her lap, she had placed a wet handkerchief, a roll of tape and a pair of scissors. She tilted her head and glanced down to his nose. He nodded and closed his eyes. With concentration on her face, she wiped off all the blood from his face and then set his nose, before taping it carefully. All through the procedure, he didn’t move an inch. When she was done, she put her hand on his cheek again and he opened his eyes. She smiled at him and he found himself giving her a small smile back. Cass was different than the rest of their family. But, even though the others had trouble understanding her at times, Dick had never had that problem. He still remembered Slade putting those earplugs in his ears and a gag over his mouth, before making him walk around and train like that for two weeks. He had learned quite quickly how to judge the man’s moods and intentions by the way he moved. He had learned to convey his own needs with just his movement. 

“Did Jason tell you?”

Cass shook her head, before putting the tape and scissors away. She sat down opposite from him and made a questioning face. 

“Deathstroke. He had me for almost five months. The Titans. We had protocols. No League unless mortal danger. So they didn’t call.” 

She nodded, understanding appearing on her face. 

“Hurt?” 

He smiled sadly. 

“Yeah. He tortured me. Sensory deprivation.” 

“What?” 

“Hearing and speech.”

She looked thoughtful for a moment, before moving so she was sitting next to him. She let her head rest on his shoulder and grabbed his hand. He squeezed it lightly and she squeezed back. 

“Safe.” 

He nodded. 

“Yeah. We both are.” 

**********

Down in the Batcave, Bruce was watching the feed from the roof with anger in his eyes. How had Wilson even dared to go close to Dick? How did he dare doing that to his son? Someone cleared his throat behind him and he spun around to where Jason was standing, his hair still slightly damp. 

“You shouldn’t have watched that.” 

“He…” 

“I know.” 

Jason cut him off with anger in his voice, but then it softened slightly. 

“I know. I’ve wanted to put a bullet in that fucker for years now. But this is Dick’s battle. This is something he has to deal with himself. Just as I had to deal with Joker myself.” 

Bruce felt irritation. 

“So what? Am I supposed to just sit back and watch Slade and Dick fight?” 

“Yes. And no. Tell him you know. Tell him you’re not mad at him. That what happened isn’t his fault. Tell him that he’s still family, no matter what he did or will do. That you will never turn away from him. That he will always be your son. Tell him all that. But do not go after Deathstroke. That’s a battle Dick must fight himself.” 

He headed towards the stairs to the rest of the house, before pausing. 

“And Bruce.” 

Blue eyes looked over to him, the anger and irritation completely gone. 

“Make sure you don’t treat him the way you treated me. Because if Dick decides to go out there and become a villain, we’ll all be fucked. You saw a glimpse of what he can do today. I haven’t seen his fullest potential, but I believe that he could be as dangerous as Deathstroke, if pushed too far.”

And he left, feeling sadness. He needed to make sure that Bruce really didn’t blame Dick for anything that happened and actually talked to him, instead of demanding answers and going off on his own. He still remembered how he had felt when Bruce had tried that with him. That was what had pushed him over the final edge. Dick had brought him back. Dick had believed in him, even when the rest of the family had turned away from him. Given up any hope that he could change. He left the mansion and walked over to where his motorcycle was standing next to the gate. As he glanced back to the house, he could clearly see the outlines of Cass and Dick, sitting on the roof and looking up at the full moon and the stars. With a small smile, he put his helmet on and tore out of the driveway, heading towards Crime Alley. He knew Dick wouldn’t want to stay in the mansion, after what had happened, and he knew that Cass and Damian would most probably not let him go anywhere alone. He was just happy that he had managed to buy a flat with a guest room. Damian and Cass would have to share, and Dick would have to take the couch, but they would all fit. They would stay together. And that was all that mattered. That they stayed together. 


End file.
